EP2921093B1 - Cleaning glove - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a washing glove comprising two peripherally interconnected layers of a nonwoven.

The document US2002 / 0017310 A1 discloses a washing glove according to the preamble of claim 1 and a method of sealing a washing glove in which only two layers of the fabric are superimposed and joined together at at least two edges.

Washing gloves are bag-like washcloths in which the user can slip in with one hand. They are used in particular for personal care and for the care of vehicles among other objects. Reusable washcloths made from cotton terry are known. Furthermore, cost-effective disposable washing gloves are known from two peripherally interconnected layers of a nonwoven. The nonwoven is a mechanically bonded needle felt made of polypropylene fibers. The rectangular layers of the fleece are connected to each other at three edges and are not connected to another edge. Disposable washing gloves are disposed of after a single use, which has hygienic advantages. Therefore disposable washing gloves are enforced, for example, in nursing. Disposable washing gloves have the disadvantage that the fibers can easily dissolve and their wet tear strength is low. Because of this, it is not possible to wash disposable washing gloves without affecting their integrity in the washing machine in order to prepare them for reuse.

Based on this, the present invention seeks to provide a cost-effective washing glove that better withstand the stresses.

The object is achieved by a washing mitt with the features of claim 5.

The washing glove according to the invention comprises the features of claim 5.

For the production of the washing glove according to the invention, a special fleece is used which is formed from synthetic fibers (eg polypropylene). Carding is used to form a card sliver from the synthetic fibers. By means of hot air, which is passed through the card belt, the plastic fibers are fused together at the contact points where they touch each other. For this purpose, hot air is used at a temperature which is located at or above the melting temperature of the plastic fibers, so that the plastic fibers melt. Thereafter, the card sliver is cooled, so that the plastic fibers solidify and connect firmly at the contact points. To form the wash mitt, two layers of the nonwoven are joined together at the edge, so that a hand can be inserted at an edge free of connections between the layers. The washing glove is protected from loss of fibers and wet breakage by the particularly strong bonding of the fibers together, and also has the strength required for washing in a washing machine. The connections at the contact points withstand mechanical loads and moisture loads without problems. In addition, it has been shown that the washing glove has a particularly high water absorbency, fluffiness, bulkiness and softness due to the fleece used. In addition, the nonwoven fabric can be produced with high web speeds compared to needle nonwovens and therefore has relatively low production costs. The washing glove according to the invention can therefore be made available at a relatively low cost. In the application, it is more comfortable than conventional disposable washing gloves. It is suitable for both single use and reuse.

According to the invention, which can be produced particularly inexpensively, the washing glove comprises only two layers of the fleece. In principle, however, it is also possible to produce an unclaimed wash mitt from more than two layers of the nonwoven.

According to a further embodiment, the washing glove comprises only two layers of the fleece and no further layers of a different material. According to an alternative embodiment, the washing glove comprises two layers of the fleece and at least one further layer of a different material. According to a further embodiment, the other material is a film made of a plastic. According to a further embodiment, the washing mitt comprises a first multilayer arrangement comprising a layer of the fleece and a film and a second multilayer arrangement comprising a layer of the fleece and a film, and the fleeces are connected to one another at at least two edges. According to a further embodiment, the two multilayer arrangements are folded over one another sections of a multilayer starting material of a layer of the web and a film. Nonwovens from the two multilayer arrangements can be directly connected to each other or indirectly via the films. The films are preferably and unclaimed disposed on the insides of the two multilayer assemblies or between two webs of each multilayer assembly. In these embodiments, the films can prevent the user's hand from coming into contact with the liquid in use. According to a further embodiment not claimed, the films are each connected in a planar manner to a nonwoven of a multilayer arrangement. According to a not claimed preferred embodiment, the films flat connected to an adjacent web of the same multilayer arrangement. According to a preferred embodiment, the film and the adjacent web of the same multilayer arrangement are a laminate. Preferably, the film and the adjacent nonwoven are connected to each other by means of a non-claimed suitable adhesive. Alternatively, the foils are bonded only at the edges to one or more adjacent webs and not bonded to the webs between the edges. According to an alternative embodiment not claimed, the film is extruded onto an adjacent web of the same multilayer assembly. As a result, the film and nonwoven can be positively and / or cohesively connected to each other. According to another embodiment, which is not claimed, the film and the nonwoven fabric of the multilayer arrangement consist of materials which enter into a cohesive connection with each other when the film is extruded onto the nonwoven fabric.

According to the invention, the plastic fibers from which the web is formed comprise bicomponent fibers. Bicomponent fibers are plastic fibers having a core of a plastic having a higher melting temperature and a sheath of a plastic having a lower melting temperature. The hot air passed through the card sliver has a temperature which is at or above the melting temperature of the sheath of the bicomponent fibers and below the melting temperature of the core of the bicomponent fibers. As a result, only the jacket of the bicomponent fibers from the hot air is melted and the core is not. Therefore, the bicomponent fibers fuse together at the contact points where they touch each other in the region of their sheath. Since the core is not melted, this does not affect the integrity of the bicomponent fibers. After cooling and solidifying in the In the area of their coats, the bicomponent fibers are joined together to form a particularly strong fleece.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the fleece is made only from bicomponent fibers. This wash mitt is particularly solid and inexpensive to produce. According to another embodiment, the fleece consists of a mixture of bicomponent fibers and synthetic fibers, which consist of only one plastic component. In the production of the nonwoven fabric from synthetic fibers, it is preferable not to add any odorants or dyes in addition to the plastic fibers. The color of the washing glove is therefore determined exclusively by in the plastic fibers and possibly in these firmly incorporated dyes.

Preferably, the two layers of the web are firmly bonded together at the edge. This is advantageous for the strength of the washing glove. Alternatively, the two layers are releasably connected together, e.g. by means of snaps. This is advantageous for washing the washing glove.

According to a preferred embodiment, rectangular layers of the nonwoven fabric are joined together at two opposite edges or at three edges. At one or two edges, the rectangular layers are not connected together, so that a hand can intervene there in the washing glove. According to a preferred embodiment of a washing glove in the form of a finger glove or a mitten, two layers of the fleece are connected to one another at the edge following the contour of the hand and are not connected to one another at an edge crossing the user's forearm.

According to a further embodiment, the layers of the fleece are connected to each other at least one edge by sealing. Sealing is understood to mean a connection using pressure and heat, which leads to the melting of at least the sheath of the plastic fibers, so that bicomponent fibers of the two layers are firmly connected to each other after cooling at the contact points. Sealing creates a particularly strong wash mitt. The sealed seams withstand mechanical loads and moisture loads very well. Preferably, two rectangular layers of a wash mitt are joined together at one edge by folding together a web of the web and at two other edges by sealing. Alternatively, the two rectangular layers of the web are joined together on three sides by sealing.

According to a preferred embodiment, the layers of the nonwoven fabric are sealed to each other at least one edge by means of ultrasound. The seal by ultrasound is particularly easy to carry out and inexpensive.

According to another embodiment, which is not claimed, the two layers of the fleece are connected to each other at the edge by stitching or gluing. Furthermore, it is possible to connect the two layers of the nonwoven edge by any combination of sealing, sewing or gluing together.

According to a further embodiment, the layers of the nonwoven each have a grammage of 65 g / m ² or less. The washing glove of the invention is due to the water absorbency, fluffiness and bulkiness of the web with relatively little use of material, which further costs are saved.

According to a further embodiment not claimed, the layers of the nonwoven each have a rectangular shape. This favors a material-saving continuous production.

According to a further embodiment, the washing glove is formed from two folded sections of a fleece which have a seal at at least one further edge other than the fold line. This is advantageous for a material-saving and cost-effective production.

According to a further embodiment, the layers of the nonwoven fabric are connected at one edge by a fold line and at two other edges by seals. In this way, the washing glove with a rectangular shape is closed on three sides and has an opening on one side.

According to a further embodiment, the layers of the fleece are not connected to one another at at least one edge, so that a hand can be inserted between the two layers at this edge.

According to a further embodiment, at the edge at which the layers of the nonwoven are not connected to one another, one layer of the nonwoven protrudes beyond the other layer of the nonwoven, so that a hand can be inserted particularly easily between the two layers.

According to a further embodiment not claimed, the washing glove has a width in the range of 100 to 200 mm, preferably 140 to 160 mm, preferably 150 mm and a length of 150 to 300 mm, preferably 200 to 250 mm, preferably 220 mm.

Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for producing a washing mitt, comprising the features of claim 1.

Preferably, the method is a method for manufacturing a washing glove according to one of claims 2 to 4.

According to a preferred embodiment, the layers of the fleece are sealed to one another at at least one edge.

According to the invention only two layers of the web are joined together to form a wash mitt.

According to a further embodiment, a film is laminated to a layer of a nonwoven or to a multilayer arrangement of one or more layers of a nonwoven, and two laminates thus formed are superimposed and joined together at at least two edges.

According to the invention, the bicomponents are plastic fibers.

According to a further embodiment, the nonwoven exclusively comprises bicomponent fibers.

According to a preferred embodiment, two layers of the nonwoven fabric are joined together at one edge via a fold line and joined together at least at one further edge via a seal.

According to a further embodiment, the sealing takes place by means of ultrasound.

Fig. 1

den Waschhandschuh in der Draufsicht;

Fig. 2

den Waschhandschuh in einem Schnitt entlang der Linie II-II von Fig.

1; Fig. 3

den Waschhandschuh in einem Schnitt entlang der Linie III-III von

Fig. 1; Fig. 4

einen vergrößerten Ausschnitt einer Lage des Waschhandschuhs.

Fig. 5

eine alternative Ausgestaltung des Waschhandschuhs in einem Schnitt entlang der Linie II - II von Fig. 1;

Fig. 6

den Waschhandschuh in einem Schnitt entlang der Linie III-III von Fig. 1.

The invention will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings of embodiments of a washing glove. In the drawings show:

Fig. 1

the wash mitt in plan view;

Fig. 2

the wash mitt in a section along the line II-II of FIG.

1; Fig. 3

the wash mitt in a section along the line III-III of

Fig. 1; Fig. 4

an enlarged section of a layer of the washing glove.

Fig. 5

an alternative embodiment of the washing glove in a section along the line II - II of Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 6

the wash mitt in a section along the line III-III of Fig. 1 ,

The washing mitt 1 according to the invention has a rectangular shape. It consists of two rectangular, superimposed layers 2, 3 of a fleece. The nonwoven fabric is formed from bicomponent fibers 5 which are laid to form a card sliver and which are interconnected by means of hot air at contact points 4. For example, the bicomponent fibers have a core of polyethylene and a sheath of polypropylene.

Other fibers or additional materials (e.g., odors or dyes) are not added to the web.

The two layers 2, 3 each have a rectangular shape, wherein both layers 2, 3 have the same width and the layer 2 is slightly shorter than the layer 3.

• Kunststoffe der Fasern, Abmessungen der Fasern, Dichte der Fasern, Stärke der Vliese.

Preferably, the different layers 2, 3 of the web consist of the same material. But it is also possible that the different layers 2, 3 of the web consist of different materials. The nonwovens of the various layers 2, 3 may in particular by one or more of the following features distinguished:

• Plastics of the fibers, dimensions of the fibers, density of the fibers, strength of the nonwovens.

The two layers 2, 3 are folded against each other at a short edge around a folding line 6 and joined together at two long edges by means of seals 7, 8 in the form of straight-line sealing seams. At the opposite edge of the fold line 6, the two layers 2, 3 are not connected to each other, so that there through an opening 9 from the outside a hand between the two layers 2, 3 can be inserted to receive the wash mitt 1. By a protruding edge 10 of the layer 3, the finding of the opening 9 and the insertion of the hand is facilitated.

Incidentally, the washing glove 1 is used in a conventional manner. It can be disposed of after a single use or reused many times after washing in the washing machine.

The embodiment of FIGS. 5 and 6 looks in the plan view as the embodiment of Fig. 1 , In contrast, on the inside of the layers 2, 3 of the web each have a film 11, 12 are arranged and form a first and a second multilayer arrangement 13, 14. The films 11, 12 are made for example of polyethylene or polypropylene or from another polyolefin.

The films 11, 12 are applied to the layers of the web by lamination or extrusion. The multilayer arrangements 13, 14 are sealed at the edges by means of ultrasound. Here, the layers of the films 11, 12 are direct connected to each other and the layers 2, 3 of the nonwoven indirectly via the films 11, 12 connected to each other.

Claims (16)

1. A method for producing a cleaning glove, wherein bicomponent plastic fibers (5) are placed in a card sliver and combined with each other by means of hot air at the contact points (4), wherein the core of the bicomponent fibers has a higher melting temperature, and the sheath has a lower melting temperature, and the hot-air conducted through the card sliver has a temperature that lies above the melting temperature of the sheath and below the melting temperature of the core, and only two layers (2, 3) of the fleece are placed on each other and connected to each other at at least two edges.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a film is laminated onto at least one layer of a fleece, and two layers of the laminate are placed on each other and connected to each other at at least two edges.
3. The method according to one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the fleece comprises exclusively bicomponent fibers.
4. The method according to one of claims 1 or 3, wherein sealing is carried out by means of ultrasound.
5. A washing glove comprising only two layers (2, 3) connected to each other of a fleece formed from plastic fibers placed in a card sliver, characterized in that the fleece is formed from bicomponent plastic fibers (5) connected to each other by means of hot air at contact points (4), wherein the core of the bicomponent fibers has a higher melting point, and the sheath of the bicomponent fibers has a lower melting point, obtained by a method according to one of claims 1 to 4.
6. The washing glove according to claim 5, comprising at least one film (11, 12).
7. The washing glove according to claim 6 that comprises a first multilayer arrangement (13) consisting of a layer of the fleece and a film (11), and a second multilayer arrangement (14) consisting of a layer (3) of the fleece and a film (12), wherein the fleeces are connected directly to each other at at least two edges or indirectly by the films (11, 12).
8. The washing glove according to claim 7, wherein the two multilayer arrangements (13, 14) are both laminates consisting of at least one fleece and the film (11, 12).
9. The washing glove according to one of claims 5 to 8, wherein the fleece is only produced from bicomponent fibers (5).
10. The washing glove according to one of claims 5 to 8, wherein the layers (2, 3) of the fleece are sealed to each other at at least one edge.
11. The washing glove according to claim 10, wherein the layers (2, 3) of the fleece are sealed to each other at the edge by means of ultrasound.
12. The washing glove according to one of claims 5 to 11, wherein layers (2, 3) of the fleece each have a grammage of 65 g/m² or less.
13. The washing glove according to one of claims 5 to 12, formed from two sections of a fleece folded on a folding line (6) that have a seal (7, 8) at at least one additional edge different from the folding line (6).
14. The washing glove according to one of claims 5 to 13, wherein the layers (2, 3) of the fleece are connected to each other at one edge by a folding line (6) and at two other edges by seals (7, 8).
15. The washing glove according to one of claims 5 to 14, wherein the layers (2, 3) of the fleece are not connected to each other at at least one edge so that a hand can be inserted between the two layers (2, 3) at this edge.
16. The washing glove according to claim 15, wherein one layer (2, 3) of the fleece projects at an edge (10) beyond the other layer of fleece, and the two layers of the fleece at this edge are not connected to each other so that a hand can be inserted between the two layers (2, 3) of the fleece.

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